Lesson 34 of 84 ยท The Water Cycle
Experimentโญ 30 XPTides and the Moon
The Water Cycle.
๐ฏ Your mission
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
โก The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
๐ฌ The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
What You'll Learn
The water cycle describes how water moves through Earth's systems. Water evaporates from oceans, condenses into clouds, falls as precipitation, and flows back to the ocean.
Key Words
- natural resource
- conservation
Materials Needed
- thermometer
- rain gauge
- cotton balls
Safety First
- Do not look directly at the sun or bright lights.
- Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
Steps
Review the background information on The Water Cycle before starting.
Create a model of the water cycle in a bowl: place warm water in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, put ice on top, and observe condensation and precipitation.
Compare the before and after states.
Write your conclusion: did the results match your hypothesis? What would you change next time?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is erosion?
Where you see this in real life
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week โ even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
โWhat's the most surprising thing you learned today?โ
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on The Water Cycle for 5th Grade
Get the full The Water Cycle track as a printable PDF โ all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.
